How your system is installed depends mostly on your type of roof and solar system size. Typical home sized systems are roof mounted. Large solar systems typically are often installed using ground mount. Please call SunWave Solar to discuss the benefits of each.

Asphalt Shingle Roof

Asphalt shingle is the most common roof and perhaps the easiest to install solar system. A roof can be facing just about any direction other than North. South and West facing roofs produce the most electricity. In the San Diego area, the best pitch roof for solar is between 17 and 30 degrees. If the roof pitch is not ideal, standoffs can be used. North facing roofs can be used with the use of tilting legs. Panels are attached to rails using clips.

Tile Roof

There are three ways we install a solar electric system on tile roofs.

One way is to remove the tile from the roof in the area in which solar is to be installed. Our installer will attach the mounting hardware and a roofer comes back and reinstalls the tile. Then we install the panels.

We can also drill through the tile and use standoffs in order to install the solar. Both of these methods can damage brittle or thin tile.

Another way to install solar is to remove the tile in the area that the solar is to be installed and re-roof with rolled roofing underneath. This approach is the most practical and easiest. After the exposed section of the solar roof has been re-roofed with top-quality rolled roofing, the standoffs and rails are installed. From almost all angles the low laying solar panels cover the rolled roofing and it is not visible from the ground.

Ground Mounted Systems

Solar ground mount installation is often used for large solar arrays. Ground mount solar require a bit of space but can be installed on level or sloped areas. With ground mount systems, holes are dug, posts are aligned, and the holes are filled with cement. After the cement has hardened, we mount the top rails. Once the top rails are connected the panels can be mounted. If trenching is needed, we always make certain that gas, water and electric lines are not cut. The last step is to hook up the electrical and start saving.

When designed and installed properly solar ground mount can be a great alternative to roof mount.

Tracking Systems

Solar tracker installations can increase the solar panel output by as much as 30%. Solar tracker mounts require a hole to be drilled and filled with cement. The pole is sunk into the cement and the tracker installed on the pole.

“I literally turned a single switch to reverse the meter!”
– David M., South Bend

"Sun Wave Solarwas very easy to work with and showed us exactly how much power our system was generating. We are now watching our grid generate more electricity than we use!!! We no longer receive a monthly bill from our electric company and our home is over 4000 sq feet."
– Mary S., Business Owner, Vista